Five

CHAPTER FIVE: I WANT MY BABY

"I will not terminate my pregnancy just because your mistake has complicated your life."

Elena arrived at the clinic with the divorce document folded inside her handbag. She had barely slept. Adrian had spent the night alternating between angry calls and messages insisting she had misunderstood the financial agreement. Not once had he asked whether she was all right. That absence made the decision in front of her clearer than any argument could have.

The clinic director met her privately and apologized for the paperwork error. A document unrelated to her medical treatment had been mixed into the forms she was asked to sign. The clinic would provide copies of every page, document the incident, and cooperate with her independent lawyer. Elena insisted that the mistake be recorded in writing. She was tired of being told to trust people who seemed to benefit from her confusion.

Then the director explained the sample mix-up. The clinic’s initial review had confirmed that a stored sample belonging to Sebastian Blackwood had been mistakenly selected during the processing of her fourth insemination attempt. There was no evidence that anyone had planned it. It had been an error, serious and unacceptable, but an error nonetheless. It was still too early to confirm pregnancy, and further tests would be needed.

“So I may be carrying a child who is not biologically Adrian’s,” Elena said slowly.

“Yes. We understand how distressing this is. Mr. Blackwood has been informed, and he has requested a meeting. You are not required to meet him today or make any decision now.”

Elena looked down at her hands. For years, she had imagined this moment in a thousand different ways. She had pictured a positive test, Adrian beside her, and the relief of finally being able to stop counting failures. She had never pictured a stranger’s sample, a divorce document she did not understand, and her sister carrying her husband’s child.

But if the procedure had worked, the baby would not be a mistake. The clinic’s error was not the child’s fault, and Elena would not punish the baby for the circumstances of conception. She had wanted to be a mother long before Sebastian Blackwood’s name entered her life.

“If I’m pregnant, I’m keeping my baby,” she said.

The director nodded carefully. “That is your decision. We will support you with medical information and appropriate care.”

“I want you to understand something. This is my egg, my body, and the child I have been hoping for. I did not choose the mix-up, but I will not be pressured into ending a pregnancy because it makes someone else’s life complicated.”

Sebastian arrived before the meeting ended. He entered with the energy of a man who had been arguing with everyone he had spoken to that morning. His expression was hard, his shoulders tense, and his anger had clearly not faded since the clinic’s first call.

“You’re Elena Hayes?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Did you know my sample was being used?”

“No. I came here hoping to get pregnant with my husband’s child. I learned about the mix-up from the clinic.”

“And you intend to keep it?”

“If I’m pregnant, yes.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “You understand this affects my life too.”

“I understand that. But it affects my body first, and I am the one who will carry the pregnancy.”

He dragged a hand through his hair, visibly fighting his temper. “I am not saying you have no say. I’m saying this situation cannot be treated as if I’m just some stranger who happens to share a biological connection.”

“Then don’t behave like a stranger who thinks he can walk in and take control.”

The clinic director tried to step between them, but Sebastian raised a hand to stop him. His voice remained angry, but he turned his attention back to Elena.

“I want to know what happens next. I want to be informed, and if the child is mine, I have responsibilities.”

“Then take responsibility. Don’t ask me to give up the baby before we even know whether I’m pregnant.”

He offered to cover all her medical expenses and arrange the best specialists. Elena refused to accept money for herself. She would not allow him to mistake her refusal for a demand to be persuaded. She had wealthy parents who could support her, and even if she did not, she would still have the right to make her own decision.

“This isn’t about money,” she said. “I don’t need you to buy my silence.”

“I didn’t say you did.”

“You came in here angry, asking whether I intend to keep the child as if I owe you a different answer. You can be angry about the clinic. You can insist they are held accountable. But you cannot make my decision for me.”

Sebastian’s face flushed. “I’m trying to understand how my life has changed in one phone call.”

“So am I.”

For a second, neither of them spoke. Elena saw that his anger was real, not carefully staged. He had been blindsided, and he did not know how to make peace with a situation he could not control. That did not make his temper acceptable, but it made him human.

“I need time,” he said finally.

“So do I.”

He left without offering another solution. Elena watched him go and wondered whether she had just made an enemy of the one person who might have a legitimate claim to her child’s life.

That evening, the clinic called with the result. Elena sat on the edge of her bed, one hand pressed against her stomach, afraid to breathe too deeply.

“Mrs. Hayes,” the nurse said, “your pregnancy test is positive.”

Elena began to cry. For years, she had dreamed of hearing those words. She could not decide whether to laugh, pray, or call someone who would be happy for her without asking what the baby meant for the family. Before she could speak, the nurse added, “There is one more thing you should know. Mr. Blackwood has asked the clinic to arrange another meeting, and he says he will come himself.”